


Five Teams That Recruited Ezra Standish Besides the ATF

by Tygermama



Series: Tygermama's Five Times Fics [2]
Category: A-Team, Leverage, NCIS, Psych, The Magnificent Seven, Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Gen, Humor, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 22:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tygermama/pseuds/Tygermama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"We got bored.  The thrill of the hunt!  The lure of the chase!  Come with us, Crazy E!  The game's afoot!"</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. The A-Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We got bored. The thrill of the hunt! The lure of the chase! Come with us, Crazy E! The game's afoot!"

Ezra Standish allowed himself to sigh once he had locked his door behind him. Keeping up this pretense of not caring what people thought of him was exhausting. The Internal Affairs investigation had cleared him of all allegations, but the rumors and mistrust persisted. Hell, the only person in the office today that didn't seem to have it in for him was the new lab tech who dropped off their evidence reports. She had winked at him and said, "They just hate you because you're beautiful."

How much that small show of support meant to him was a shock to Ezra. He hadn't realized how depressed he had become. Which would explain why he didn't notice the two people in his apartment.

"Hey there, Crazy E! How's my favorite FBI agent?" Strong arms swept Ezra up into a ferocious bear hug. Ezra began to fight the stranger off until he recognized the voice.

"Murdock?! Why are you here? How did you get into my apartment?" Ezra found himself smiling at the frizzy-haired man. "And it's former FBI agent now." Murdock made a sympathetic noise and hugged Ezra harder.

"We came to get you to work with us. If you're interested." A match lit up the darkness in Ezra's living room, illuminating the features of the second man as he lit his cigar. Ezra brushed Murdock off. The quirky man pouted for a second and then got distracted by the spider plant on top of Ezra's refrigerator.

"Uncle Face? Work with you? Doing what?" Ezra stepped into the kitchen, snagging an ash tray off the counter and setting it beside his mother's brother.

"We heard about your work problems. Shitty situation, sorry we couldn't help, but the team and I figured that since Hannibal's retired and I'm now in charge, we could use a new Face-man." Templeton Peck leaned forward, studying Ezra. He noted the dark circles and slumped posture. He really wished he could make the men who had done this to his nephew pay. And maybe save a smack or two for Maude, who had to have known how it would look for Ezra to suddenly have a Jaguar.

Ezra frowned, "I thought the A-Team was cleared of all charges. You guys had gone legit. Are you saying that the A-Team is still active?"

Peck shrugged and puffed on his cigar, "People still need help. And we still want to help them."

Ezra looked skeptical, "So it's just altruism that motivates you?"

"We got bored. The thrill of the hunt! The lure of the chase! Come with us, Crazy E! The game's afoot!" Murdock came dancing into the living room, holding the spider plant in his arms.

Ezra looked back at his uncle. Peck smiled and shrugged. "Helping people with their troubles keeps us out of trouble. You in?"

"Yeah, come on, Ezra. It'll be fun! I'll teach you to fly!" Murdock patted the plant's leaves, "And we can bring Little E with us."

Ezra thought about it for a minute. He felt more relaxed in the presence of these two men than he had in months. He remembered the summer he spent helping the team with their adventures. The camaraderie, the feeling of using his 'god-given talents' to help people, and, to be honest, the thrill were all some of the reasons he had gotten into law enforcement in the first place.

Ezra smiled, "I'm in."

Peck reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another cigar. "I love it when a plan comes together."


	2. Leverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " I thought you'd be taller. Nate's been talking about you a lot. He made you sound taller."

Ezra cautiously made his way into the smoky bar. The message to meet here had come completely out of the blue. He wasn't even sure how he had gotten the message. No one he knew, not even his mother, had that e-mail address. And he had never expected to hear from his old college roommate.

Ezra scanned the bar and quickly spotted Nathan Ford in one of the u-shaped booths in the rear. There were four other people with him. Ezra stopped at the bar for a scotch and made his way over.

"Nate," Ezra said, still standing. Nate nodded back and slipped over, making room for Ezra to sit.

Nathan looked Ezra over, noting the perfect appearance. Even after being thrown out of the FBI on trumped up charges the Southerner showed no weakness. His suit was of the finest quality. His hair was perfect.   
Only someone who had known him as long as Nate had would notice the slight lines of tension at the eyes and mouth. Ezra was apprehensive. Nate couldn't really blame him.

"I heard about the FBI. Sorry," Nate said, idly toying with his glass of soda water.

Ezra nodded and raised his scotch, "I was very saddened to hear about your son."

The two men drank to their personal miseries.

"So, you're probably wondering about why I asked you here," Nate said.

Ezra only smiled and nodded.

"Well, after I left IYS, I made a few new friends. Allow me to introduce you. Ezra Standish, this is Sophie Devereaux. I believe you've met." Nate gestured to the woman sitting on his left.

She reached across Nate to offer Ezra her hand, "Yes, I remember. It was…"

"San Sebastian, Spain. Summer. Five years ago. I couldn't forget a beautiful woman such as yourself, Ms. Devereaux." Ezra kissed Sophie's hand and smiled, flashing his dimples.

Sophie smiled back. "See, Nate? Some people have no problem remembering 'little details'."

Nate huffed and pointed to the young black man at the head of the table, working on his laptop. "This is Alec Hardison. He's somewhat familiar with computers."

The young man looked up sharply, "I am hardly 'somewhat familiar' with computers. I am an electronics _god_. There are people on the internet who worship me. I could show you sites! Hey, man. Nice threads." Hardison leaned over to shake Ezra's hand. "I couldn't help noticing as I was going through your computer that you are a fellow fan of the good Doctor's. We totally need to talk about Eleven. These guys, they just don't understand."

"I look forward to it. I'm also curious as to how you hacked my computer," Ezra said.  
Hardison went back to work on his laptop, "I exploited a little known weakness in your anti-virus program. Don't worry about it though; I'm upgrading your software as we speak."

Ezra looked nonplussed, "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"I thought you'd be taller," the pretty blond beside Hardison cut in, staring at Ezra. She was dressed all in black and didn't seem to be able to sit still. "Nate's been talking about you a lot. He made you sound taller."

Ezra stared back, "I'll have you know I am the perfect size for my height, young lady."

Nate sighed. "This is Parker."

Ezra looked impressed, "The same Parker who is rumored to have stolen the "Kermit the Frog" puppet from the Smithsonian while it was open? I still can't figure out how you pulled that off."

Parker beamed, "It was a challenge but it was so worth it!"

Everyone at the table gawked at her. "What?" Parker looked a little sheepish, "I love 'The Muppet Show.'"

Nate pinched the bridge of his nose, "Moving on. Lastly, this is Eliot Spencer. He's…"

The long haired, blue-eyed man sitting across from Ezra extended his hand and spoke, "I'm the one who's going to kill you if you turn on us. Understand?"

"…very blunt," Nate finished.

Ezra shook Eliot's hand, unsurprised to find the man's grip was like a vice. "I have no intention of turning any of you in. Any of you. Even if you are wanted by the FBI, Interpol and several other governments. I would never betray Nathan's trust like that."

Eliot looked Ezra in the eye for a long minute and nodded back, "Then we won't have a problem."

Ezra turned to Nate, "Your friends are very intriguing, Nathan, but is there a point to all this?"

Nate took a drink and cleared his throat. "Well, Ezra. How bad do you want to screw over the FBI?"


	3. NCIS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well? You make your mind up yet, I don't have all day."

"Agent Standish, report to my office immediately."

Ezra put his phone down and rubbed the back of his neck. _Perhaps Agent Cavanagh has gotten himself a guillotine and has decided to execute me himself. Hopefully the blade will be sharp._ He pushed himself up from his desk and took a deep breath. _Appearances are everything, Ezra. Don't let them see your weaknesses._

Ezra walked across the bull pen and into his supervisor's office, seemingly unaware of the sneers of his co-workers. _Never forget, nothing pisses off people more than someone they look down on being better-mannered than them._

There was no guillotine in Agent Cavanaugh's office. Steven Cavanaugh was sitting behind his desk, sweat beading on his bald head. There were also two people Ezra had never seen before. One was an older, silver-haired man holding a cup of coffee and glaring at the FBI agent behind the desk. The other was tall man about Ezra's age, holding a file and wearing a very nice Armani suit.

Agent Cavanaugh stood up as Ezra entered, "Standish. These are Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo of NCIS. For some reason they think you'll be a good addition to their team. Agent Gibbs, I'm not sure you fully understand…"

"I _fully_ understand a member of your team was falsely accused of corruption and instead of defending him, you fed him to the wolves. It took me and my people less than a day to corroborate Standish's story. What was your problem, Cavanaugh?" Gibbs' glare took the wind right out of Cavanaugh's sails. The man visibly deflated.

Gibbs gestured to DiNozzo, who opened the file in his hands and began to read. "We have a sworn affidavit from the manager of the Hennessey Jaguar dealership on Piedmont Road that on May ninth of this year a woman by the name of Maude Standish did, in fact, purchase a brand-new Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas in Ultimate Black with charcoal seats, walnut rouched interior, warm charcoal fascia and every option known to man. She specifically mentioned that the car was a gift for her, and I quote, 'darling boy'. The car was hand delivered to the federal building when it arrived from the factory two weeks later. The ruby ring Standish is known for wearing is confirmed an heirloom. It was in the registered will of one Percival E Standish, Agent Standish's father. And we ran his financials going back to the first year he ever filed. They were all clean. Occasionally creative, but nothing illegal." DiNozzo closed the file with a snap and turned to Ezra, holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Tony DiNozzo and I was wondering if I could get the number of your accountant?"

Ezra automatically shook DiNozzo's hand and smiled, "I have one of his cards in my office."

"What is the meaning of this? The Internal Affairs office is conducting a thorough investigation! I have never heard any of this before!" Cavanaugh sputtered.

DiNozzo leaned toward Ezra and muttered, "Rule Three: Never believe what you are told. Double check."

Gibbs reached over and gave his junior agent a light smack on the back of the head.

Gibbs finished his coffee and threw the cup in the trash, "That is not my problem. I suggest you pay more attention to the reports that come across your desk and spend less time kissing up to your bosses."

Gibbs strode over and stopped right in front of Ezra. His piercing blue eyes looked straight into Ezra's green ones. The Southerner felt like he was being measured against some unknown standard. Judged and found… Perfectly acceptable, if Gibbs' nod of satisfaction was any indication.

"So, Standish, you want the job?" Gibbs said.

"What does the position entail?" Ezra asked.

DiNozzo answered, "The Special Agents of NCIS work closely with other local, state, federal and foreign agencies to investigate serious crimes. Homicide, arson, espionage and terrorism to name a few. We are the primary security force for the men, women and ships of the United States Navy."

"You may be required to do some undercover work, but mostly you'll be doing actual investigations. Collecting evidence, interrogating suspects and making arrests. Under my direction," Gibbs said. "Well? You make your mind up yet, I don't have all day."

Ezra looked at DiNozzo, who smiled confidently back and then at Gibbs, who glared impatiently. He then looked at Cavanagh, who looked completely out of his depth.

"Rule three, huh? What's rule one?" Ezra asked.

Gibbs smiled approvingly, "Rule one is 'Never screw over your team.'"

"When do I start?" Ezra said.


	4. Psych

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I heard about what happened and I accidentally told Mom and now she's worried…"

"Hi, Ezra, it's Jules. Well, you know that, but still. Call me soon, okay. I heard about what happened and I accidentally told Mom and now she's worried… And if you don't call and let us know you're okay, I think Mom's going to fly out there to find out for herself. And nobody wants that. And, well, there's a detective position open here in Santa Barbara. It's nice and warm here and there's great seafood… So, call, okay? Please?" The answering machine clicked as Ezra listened to the message for the fourth time.

Ezra knew that he would be getting a call from Juliet O'Hara sooner or later.

Years ago, a failed con in Santa Barbara had cost Maude a jail term and Ezra had ended up in foster care for a little over a year. The O'Haras had been a shock to the then-twelve year old Ezra Standish. They were loud, loving and completely uninterested in the things Maude had taught him were important. The bigger O'Hara boys had not known what to make of Ezra, who was meticulously clean, polite, and uninterested in team sports, but Juliet, the only girl in the family, had quickly bonded with him. Jules's knowledge of their targets and Ezra's quick thinking sparked off a huge prank war in the O'Hara household that was still a legend in their neighborhood.

Jules was his sister in all but blood. They had kept in touch, through multiple moves, schools, heartbreaks and triumphs. Her whole family had always been good to him. Better than Ezra sometimes felt he deserved. He smiled thinking of what Mrs. O'Hara would say if she could hear what he was thinking. She'd yell at him for thinking so poorly of himself, then feel guilty about yelling, hug him and bake some cookies. Mrs. O'Hara still sent him care packages from time to time. Ezra's mouth watered at the thought of her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Ezra looked down into his glass of scotch. Only Jules would call him with a job offer. And he did love seafood.

Ezra dialed her number. The call was answered on the first ring. "Ezra! Are you okay?" Juliet didn't even try to hide the concern in her voice.

"I've been better. So, you think I should come work with you at the Santa Barbara police department?" Ezra asked.

"Yes! Well, you wouldn't be working with me. I have a partner. His name is Detective Carlton Lassiter. Sorry, _Head_ Detective Carlton Lassiter. He's a bit of a hard case but fair. And Chief Vick is great. She doesn't take crap from anybody. But I should probably explain about Shawn…"

Ezra smiled as Jules' voice washed over him. Maybe he would fly down and check out Santa Barbara.

Sounded interesting.


	5. Torchwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No, there is not a handless suit of armor running around the Plass, bemoaning the loss of its gauntlets."

Ezra wandered through the Roald Dahl Plass, bemused by the multi-coloured lights. Cardiff really was beautiful. He was surprised by how much he loved this place, even though he had never been here before. Ezra had thought it a romantic notion that someone could be called to a place by their 'blood', but now he was starting to think it might be true.

One of the few things Ezra had learned about his family was that his paternal grandmother had been Welsh. Maude had only admitted it when Ezra found an old charm bracelet among his father's things. One of the charms had been a strange red dragon with the words "Cymru Am Byth" on the back. One of the other charms was a simple gold star with a red stone in the center. After the fifth time its clasp broke, Ezra took the stone in and had it set into a ring. The jeweler had been unable to identify the stone but praised its beauty. Ezra had worn his "grandmother's ring" ever since.

The ring was one of the contributing factors to his leaving the FBI. It and the jag had convinced everyone he was on the take, no matter his explanations or the evidence he had to back them up. Internal Affairs couldn't make anything stick and Ezra had persevered. Then came the bust where he was 'accidentally' shot in the back by a man who had known exactly who it was he was aiming for.

Ezra had handed in his resignation the day he was released from the hospital.

After six months travelling around Europe, Ezra found himself in Cardiff, wondering what he was going to do next.

"I'm telling you, dear, I'm not seeing anything."

Ezra looked around for the voice. He had thought the Plass was empty.

"No, there is not a handless suit of armor running around the Plass, bemoaning the loss of its gauntlets."

The voice was feminine, with a slight accent. Whoever it was also sounded slightly annoyed.

Ezra walked toward the center of the plaza, following the voice.

"Oh, bugger! There's someone here! I think he heard me."

Ezra stopped in his tracks.

"He definitely heard me. Give us a minute, Rhys."

Ezra shifted his weight and wished he still had his gun.

Ezra's eyes watered as a woman appeared from out of nowhere. She had dark hair and eyes and a very friendly smile. Ezra was instantly on edge.

"I know this must look bad, but my name is Gwen Cooper. I work for a group that does scientific research, amongst other things. We're called Torchwood. Our instruments picked up a strange radiation source and we've traced it to you." She held out a PDA. There was a flashing dot on it.

"Scientific research, huh?" Ezra looked at Gwen skeptically, "What's the English expression? 'Pull the other one, it's got bells on?'"

Gwen sighed and put the PDA back in her pocket, "Look, love, this is going to take some explaining. So how's about I buy you a cuppa?"

"Ezra Standish, at your service." Ezra held out his hand.


End file.
